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The_Rookie Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:52am

Politics of Basketball
 
Recently my association held elections for officers and board members and all the candidates had one common theme: THEY WERE ANGRY

The feelings of resentment and feeling left out of the "BIG GAMES" bubbled over and were put out in the open for all to hear! I have heard private complaining and whispers over the years but nothing so public and with so much fire..words like corruption and favortism were tossed around loosely.

Your thoughts on how much these type of feelings exists in your world? Why do people get so riled up over high school basketball?:confused:

brainbrian Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:57am

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rookie (Post 909892)
Why do people get so riled up over high school basketball?:confused:

My guess is pride, ego, competition. They get to tell their buddies they worked that "big" game last week.

Andy Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:25pm

Most of us that are or were officials were also athletes and competitors previously. As such, we still have the competitive drive.

Some officials manifest that by comparing themselves to other officials and the number and/or percieved "quality" of the games assigned. Many officials that feel slighted that they are not getting the BIG games will start to blame "politics", the "good ole boy network" and "such and such assignor" doesn't like me. Anything but take a realistic look at their game and what they can do to improve.

Without knowing anything about your association and making some assumptions, I do find it interesting that some of the ANGRY officials have decided to become involved in the leadership of the organization instead of just sitting back and complaining about it. Hopefully, it works out well for your group.

Freddy Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:30pm

One reason I am happy our association has no assigning function. Other associations in our state who do have similar issues to what you have expressed, though maybe not to that extent.
If it's as bad as say, would an initiative to separate the two be practical for your group?

Raymond Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:57pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rookie (Post 909892)
Recently my association held elections for officers and board members and all the candidates had one common theme: THEY WERE ANGRY

The feelings of resentment and feeling left out of the "BIG GAMES" bubbled over and were put out in the open for all to hear! I have heard private complaining and whispers over the years but nothing so public and with so much fire..words like corruption and favortism were tossed around loosely.

Your thoughts on how much these type of feelings exists in your world? Why do people get so riled up over high school basketball?:confused:

Happened here...many unhappy people, commissioner voted out, he starts rival organization, big-time split, good ole boy politics within the school system, etc, etc. So I work my public school games for an out-of-town board and private schools for my original board.

Raymond Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:59pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy (Post 909896)
... Many officials that feel slighted that they are not getting the BIG games will start to blame "politics", the "good ole boy network" and "such and such assignor" doesn't like me. Anything but take a realistic look at their game and what they can do to improve.
...

Sometimes this is reality, trust me.

BigT Tue Nov 05, 2013 01:23pm

I love these angry guys. They make it so easy for the cream to rise to the top and get more of those great games.

JRutledge Tue Nov 05, 2013 02:12pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rookie (Post 909892)
Your thoughts on how much these type of feelings exists in your world? Why do people get so riled up over high school basketball?:confused:

This has nothing to do with basketball honestly. People that are competitive on some level, want to achieve everything they can for as long as they can. When they fail or lose out those people cannot handle the lack of success or if others get successful at their expense. This is pure life. It could be about a woman, a job opportunity or who has the bigger house. It is all the same with human beings and it comes out in this area of our lives just like anything else. Basketball officiating IMO is no different. This is just another year of the same thing.

Peace

Andy Tue Nov 05, 2013 03:20pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef (Post 909904)
Sometimes this is reality, trust me.

I am well aware of that and did not mean to imply that these things don't happen at all.

However, in my experience, they are blamed for a perceived lack of advancement far more than they are actually responsible for.

DRJ1960 Tue Nov 05, 2013 03:27pm

Sermon
 
One of our members gave an impassioned speech against our board (I'm not on it) last night. He doesn't think his schedule is fair and made it abundantly clear that he has no respect for the board and told the evaluators "judge not that ye be not judged".

Smitty Tue Nov 05, 2013 03:34pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRutledge (Post 909913)
This has nothing to do with basketball honestly. People that are competitive on some level, want to achieve everything they can for as long as they can. When they fail or lose out those people cannot handle the lack of success or if others get successful at their expense. This is pure life. It could be about a woman, a job opportunity or who has the bigger house. It is all the same with human beings and it comes out in this area of our lives just like anything else. Basketball officiating IMO is no different. This is just another year of the same thing.

Well said. And really sums it up perfectly. Every association I've been a member of (there are 8) it's been the same. Human nature.

Raymond Tue Nov 05, 2013 03:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigT (Post 909908)
I love these angry guys. They make it so easy for the cream to rise to the top and get more of those great games.

Cream wasn't rising to the top around here. In these parts, the cream would go to camps and better themselves and get ridiculed by veterans for "trying to be college officials." The HS officiating situation is a joke where I live, that's why I travel up the road to work public school games.

Adam Tue Nov 05, 2013 04:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRJ1960 (Post 909922)
One of our members gave an impassioned speech against our board (I'm not on it) last night. He doesn't think his schedule is fair and made it abundantly clear that he has no respect for the board and told the evaluators "judge not that ye be not judged".

Um, isn't that what evaluators are supposed to do?

I've been in such meetings, where folks were running for the board, even running for the assigner's position. The speech was an angry plea for "fairness" and "objectivity."

I don't know how badly he lost.

egj13 Tue Nov 05, 2013 04:40pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef (Post 909925)
The HS officiating situation is a joke where I live, that's why I travel up the road to work public school games.

Does your association put 1st year officials in hotly contested Varisty games? My new one does. I guess their thinking is that since we do three-man for everything the 2 experienced guys can cover the third guy. That my friend is a joke....

The_Rookie Tue Nov 05, 2013 04:58pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by egj13 (Post 909933)
Does your association put 1st year officials in hotly contested Varisty games? My new one does. I guess their thinking is that since we do three-man for everything the 2 experienced guys can cover the third guy. That my friend is a joke....

Did I read that correctly? 1st year officials (Rookies) are put on varsity games?? What's the punchline?


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